2 Corinthians 4:10
in 2 Corinthians 4We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body.
KJV
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
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This verse in 2 Corinthians 4
Commentary
14 notes on this verseThat he uses these words with respect to the body of flesh, and to none other, he declares to the Corinthians manifestly, indubitably, and free from all ambiguity: "Always bearing about in our body the dying of Jesus, that also the life of Jesus Christ might be manifested in our body. For if we who live are delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, it is that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh."
This site's exposition
carry around in our body the death
on 2 Corinthians 4:10-11
The death of Jesus that Paul carries in his body is nekrosis, a continual dying, so that the life of Jesus may show there. Paul's own body is where the Corinthians see both the cross and the resurrection.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
For he gives prominence to the statement, "That the life also of Christ may be manifested in our body," as a contrast to the preceding, that His death is borne about in our body.
When also he adds, "Always bearing about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ" what sort of substance is that which, after (being called) the temple of God, can now be also designated the tomb of Christ? But why do we bear about in the body the dying of the Lord? In order, as he says, "that His life also may be manifested.
Rather, dishonour and weakness will accrue to him, because the earthen vessels with which he had nothing to do have received all the excellency! Well, then, if it be in these very earthen vessels that he tells us we have to endure so great sufferings, in which we bear about with us the very dying of God, (Marcion's) god is really ungrateful and unjust, if he does not mean to restore this same I substance of ours at the resurrection, wherein so much has been endured in loyalty to him, in which Christ's very death is borne about, wherein too the excellency of his power is treasured. For he gives prominence to the statement, "That the life also of Christ may be manifested in our body," as a contrast to the preceding, that His death is borne about in our body.
"Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body." And what is the "dying of the Lord Jesus," which they bare about? Their daily deaths by which also the resurrection was showed. 'For if any believe not,' he says, 'that Jesus died and rose again, beholding us every day die and rise again, let him believe henceforward in the resurrection.' Seest thou how he has discovered yet another reason for the trials? What then is this reason? "That his life also may be manifested in our body." He says, 'by snatching us out of the perils. So that this which seems a mark of weakness and destititution, this, [I say,] proclaims His resurrection. For His power had not so appeared in our suffering no unpleasantness, as it is now shown in our suffering indeed, but without being overcome.'
Christ himself shares in the death of martyrs. Their sufferings are his sufferings. His life is made manifest in their bodies. Their sufferings are evidence of the fact that they are prepared to receive the life to come which Christ promised.
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then when he says, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, he gives the reason for this patience. Here it should be noted that in Christ the process was this: having from the beginning of his conception a flesh that could suffer, he …
That is, by daily being subjected to death and always imitating the death of the Lord, we thus bear witness to His life, or to His resurrection, in our body. For if someone does not believe that the Lord rose, he will have no pretext …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The apostles were great sufferers; therein they followed their Master: Christ had told them that in the world they should have tribulation, and so they had; yet they met with wonderful support, great relief, and many allays of their sorrows. " We are, " says the apostle, " troubled on every side, afflicted many ways, and we meet with almost all sorts of troubles; yet not distressed,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Always bearing about in the body,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Always bearing about in the body, etc. - Being every moment in danger of losing our lives in the cause of truth, as Jesus Christ was. We, in a word, bear his cross, and are ready to offer up our lives for him. There is probably an allusion here to the marks, wounds, and bruises which the contenders in those games got, and continued to carry throughout life.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The fact of a dying, corpse-like body being sustained amidst such trials, manifests that "the (resurrection) life also," as well as the dying, "of Jesus," exerts its power in us. I thus bear about in my own person an image of the risen and living, as well as of the suffering, Saviour. The "our" is added here to "body," though not in the beginning of the verse.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Always bearing about in the body - The expression used here is designed to show the great perils to which Paul was exposed. And the idea is, that he had on his body the marks, the stripes and marks of punishment and persecution, which showed that he was exposed to the same violent death which the Lord Jesus himself endured; compare Gal 6:17; “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” It is a strong energetic mode of expression, to denote the severity of the trials to which he was exposed, and the meaning is, that his body bore the marks of his being exposed to the same treatment as the Lord Jesus was; and evidence that he was probably yet to die in a similar manner under the hands of persecutors; compare Col 1:24. The dying of the Lord Jesus - The death; the violent death. A death similar to that of the Lord Jesus. The idea is, that he was always exposed to death, and always suffering in a manner that was equivalent to dying. The expression is parallel to what he says in 1Co 15:31. “I die daily;” and in 2Co 11:23, where he says, “in deaths oft.” It does not mean that he bore about literally the dying of the Lord Jesus, but that he was exposed to a similar death. and had marks on his person which showed that he was always exposed to the same violent death. This did not occur once only, or at distant intervals, but it occurred constantly, and wherever he was it was still true that he was exposed to violence, and liable to suffer in the same manner that the Lord Jesus did. That the life also of Jesus ... - This passage has received a considerable variety of interpretation. […]
The words behind it
20 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| πάντοτε | pantote | always | G3842 → | 40 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νέκρωσιν | nekrosin | death | G3500 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰησοῦ | iesou | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σώματι | somati | [our] body | G4983 → | 142 times |
| περιφέροντες, | peripherontes | carrying around, | G4064 → | |
| ἵνα | ina | so that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ζωὴ | zoe | life | G2222 → | 135 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰησοῦ | iesou | of Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σώματι | somati | body | G4983 → | 142 times |
| ἡμῶν | hemon | of us | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| φανερωθῇ· | phanerothea | may be manifested; | G5319 → | 45 times |
πάντοτεalways
pantoteG3842 →40 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
νέκρωσινdeath
nekrosinG3500 →
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
ἸησοῦJesus
iesouG2424 →908 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
σώματι[our] body
somatiG4983 →142 times
περιφέροντες,carrying around,
peripherontesG4064 →
ἵναso that
inaG2443 →668 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
ζωὴlife
zoeG2222 →135 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
Ἰησοῦof Jesus
iesouG2424 →908 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
σώματιbody
somatiG4983 →142 times
ἡμῶνof us
hemonG3165 →1936 times
φανερωθῇ·may be manifested;
phanerotheaG5319 →45 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Timothy 2:11This is a trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him;
it leads to
- Colossians 3:3–4
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 6:8
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.
- John 14:19
In a little while the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Colossians 3:3–4
Through
1 Peter 4:13But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory.
it leads to
- Romans 8:17
And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.
- James 1:2–3
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
- Romans 5:3
Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
- Romans 8:17
Through
Romans 6:5For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.
it leads to
- Philippians 3:10–11
I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death,
- Colossians 2:12
And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.
- Philippians 3:10–11
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Corinthians
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians; Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book V; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians; John Chrysostom, Homily 9 on 2 Corinthians; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V; Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Corinthians.